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THE CLiriATE OF HAINE. 



BY 

GUY HINSDALE, H.D.. 



OF PHILADBLPHIA. 



Y 



rxoM 
THE MBDICAL NBWS. 

New York, 
novbmbbk 15, z903. 



[Reprinted from The Medical News, Nov. 15, 1902.] 



THE CLIMATE OF MAINE.* 

BY GUY HINSDALE, M.D., 

OF PHILADELPHIA; 
SECRETARY OF THE AMERICAN CLIMATOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION; COR- 
RESPONDING FELLOW OF THE BRITISH BALNEOLOGICAL 
AND CLIMATOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

The State of Maine is the largest and, from a 
climatic standpoint, the most interesting State in 
New England. The single county of Aroostook 
is larger than the State of Connecticut and but 
slightly smaller than Massachusetts. Vast areas 
of Maine are wild and* uninhabited. In the in- 
terior there are 1,700 beautiful lakes, many of 
them at an elevation of more than 1,000 feet. 

Feet above 
sea-level. 

•Rangeley 1,513 

Mooselucmagnntic 1,486 

Richardson 1,456 

Umbagog 1,256 

Long Pond 1,094 

Attean 1,094 

Wood 1,094 

Moosehead 1,023 

The Penohscot, Kennebec, Piscataqua, Allagash 
and St. John Rivers, rising in the mountains of 
Maine, penetrate the State in all directions. Ka- 
tahdin is the highest mountain, attaining a height 
of 5,385 feet. 

Maine abounds in spruce, hemlock and white 
pine; and the lumber interests have been a great 
source of wealth. The soil is sandy. The coast 
is noteworthy for its innumerable indentations, 
with harbors protected by headlands and out- 

* Read before the Section on General Medicine, New York Acad- 
emy of Medicine, being a part of a symposium on Summer Cli- 
mates and Climatotherapy. 



lying islands, so that it is admirably adapted for 
maritime pursuits. The shore-line, if extended 
in one direction, would stretch for 3,000 miles. 
The coast is rocky and picturesque. The bays 
are deep and afford safe anchorage. The islands 
off the coast are especially noteworthy. Among 
them, beginning with Campobello and Grand 
Manan, which are British possessions, although 
almost within our territory, may be named 
Mount Desert, Deer Isle, Isleboro, Isle au Haut, 
Vinal Haven and North Vinal Haven, Monhegan, 
Squirrel Island, and the islands of Casco Bay. 

The harbors of note are Passamaquoddy Bay, 
Machias Bay, Frenchman's Bay, Penobscot Bay, 
Booth Bay, Portland Harbor and Casco Bay, in- 
cluding the waters between Portland and Harps- 
well; Biddeford, Cape Porpoise, York Harbor 
and Kittery. 

Climate. — The climate of Maine is cold 
and stimulating, and is noted for its severity. 
On the coast the diurnal range of temperature is 
small, and the annual range is from 98° F. at 
Belfast to 109° F. at Portland. The maxima are 
94° F. at Bar Harbor ; 90° F. at Belfast ; Eastport, 
88° F. ; Gardiner, 97° F. ; Portland, 97° F. The 
minima are: Bar Harbor, 10° F. ; Eastport, 12° 
F.; Portland, 12° F.; Gardiner, 13° F. The 
mean daily range is from 15 to 17° F. 

The cold in winter is penetrating. In the 
summer there is a corresponding advantage, in 
that the prevailing breezes are always cool; and, 
as the shore-line is so nearly easterly, the south- 
erly and southwesterly breezes come from the 
water. The sea-breeze is an interesting feature 
of the coast, and on it depends much of the pleas- 
ure of summer life. It usually begins at about 
9 or 10 A.M., and lasts until 4 or 5 o'clock P.M. 
It lowers the temperature as it penetrates the in- 
terior. It is more distinct on warm, clear, quiet 



days, and is absent on cool, cloudy and rainy days, 
and on days with strong winds in any direction. 
The rate of the sea-breeze is from lo to 15 miles 
an hour, and it produces a very agreeable depres- 
sion of temperature on the coast ; but this depres- 
sion is not carried inland as far as its wind 
extends. 

The mean minimum and the mean maximum 
temperature for July and August are given in 
the following table for nine stations in Maine. 
Gardiner and Lewiston are about thirty miles in- 
land ; Orono and Fairfield are 40 miles inland, 
and the other stations are on the coast. 

Temperature F. 

Mean Minimum. Mean Maximum. Annual 

July Aug. July Aug. 

Eastport 54 54.4 67.4 66.3 41 -3 

Calais 56.5 55- 75-2 74-3 

Bar Harbor ...56.3 55-3 74- 73- 

Sorrento 54.5 53-5 72.8 72.2 

Lewiston 60.7 56.3 75.7 74.7 

Gardiner 59.5 75.6 43.8 

Portland 59.6 57. 73.1 72.2 

Fairfield 54-4 51-4 78.1 75-2 

Orono 58.2 55.8 74. 74.6 42.1 

The mean summer temperature for the north- 
ern third of the State is precisely the same as 
for the southern two-thirds; namely, 62.19° F. 

The yearly movement of wind is the same as 
that of New Haven, Conn., and a trifle less than 
at New York — or about 72,000 miles a year. It 
is about 25 per cent, less than at Boston and Nan- 
tucket, and about half that of Block Island. The 
annual precipitation averages 49.69 inches at 
Eastport, 45 inches at Gardiner, 41 inches at 
Portland. The mean summer rainfall of the 
State is 11. 13 inches. 

There is considerable difference in the precipi- 
tation of moisture between the northern wd 



4 

southern slopes — the mean annual fall on the for- 
mer being 36.71 niches and on the latter 43.56 
inches. 

Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Maine. — There has 
been a noteworthy and uninterrupted diminution 
of the number of deaths from pulmonary tuber- 
culosis in Maine during the last 10 years. The 
annual number of deaths from this disease has 
fallen in that time from 1,352 to 1,015. This is 
a decrease of from 20.24 to 14.69 per 10,000 of 
population.^ 

In 1899 consumption had fallen from second 
place in 1897 to fourth place on the list of fatal 
diseases, being exceeded by Brain disease, Pneu- 
monia, and Heart disease. Consumption death- 
rate per 10,000 : 

Maritime Counties. Interior Counties. 

Washington 18.82 Aroostook 13.75 

Hancock 15-84 Penobscot 14.62 

Waldo 20.37 Kennebec 14-94 

Knox 12.13 Piscataquis ........ .11.86 

Lincoln 15-07 Somerset 13-64 

Sagadahoc 8.89 Franklin 15.30 

Cumberland 16.55 Oxford .11.82 

York 13.45 Androscoggin 13.22 



Average I5-I4 Average 1364 

An analysis of the deaths from pneumonia 
shows that the mortality from this disease aver- 
ages precisely the same in the interior counties 
is in the maritime counties. Aroostook and Wash- 
ington counties have the least, while Somerset 
and Cumberland counties have the most. Infan- 
tile diarrhea is more common in the interior coun- 
ties than on the seaboard. 



* This is attributed to the fact thit the people " are understand 
ing more and more clearly the significance of the fact that con 
sumption is a preventable disease and should be prevented." A 
circular on the prevention of consumption has been widely circula- 
ted in Maine for the past ten years and is a part of a campaign of 
education for the prevention of disease. 



The interior counties of Maine are interesting 
to us chiefly for the wonderful opportunities for 
camping and hunting expeditions. Aroostook 
County affords these to perfection, and may be 
visited from the time the ice goes out of the lakes 
until December 15, when the hunting season is 
over. Toward the end of May notice is sent to 
the Associated Press that the ice has left Moose- 
head Lake. One day the lake is covered with 
porous ice ; the next, a strong wind may start the 
break-up, and in a few hours the lake is clear and 
the season for trout-fishing opens. Up to about 
the middle of June the fish take live bait or 
worms; cilter that, the fly. In Ji-fly the brook- 
fishing affords better sport. There are also some 
landlocked salmon in Moosehead Lake, and in the 
Moose and Kennebec rivers. Sea-salmon run up 
the Penobscot and from its east branch up the 
Wissataquoik, around the north spur of Katah- 
din. In Northern Maine salmon come up the 
Aroostock River from the St. John. They are 
more difficult to take than landlocked salmon. 

Some idea of the magnitude of Maine as a 
Iiunting-ground may be gathered from the fact 
that during 1900 it was estimated that not less 
than 10,000 sportsmen visited the State, and com- 
petent judges estimated that within its borders 
not less than 15,000 deer were killed. The Ban- 
gor and Aroostook Railroad in that year carried 
3,379 deer and 210 moose, besides bears and 
other game. In three years 10,000 deer were 
shipped by this road alone. These figures are 
from records kept by station-agents, and do not 
include deer killed by native hunters or the large 
quantity consumed in camps. Washington 
County is also a great hunting-ground, and is be- 
lieved to contain more bears than all others parts 
of the State. Aloose, deer and fish also abound 
liere, and the various stations on the Washington 



County Railroad may be reached in about i6 or 
1 8 hours from Boston. 

The game-laws' of Alame are strict. Non- 
resident sportsmen must be accompanied by a reg- 
istered guide. i he penalty for killing more 
than one moose is a fine of not less than $500 nor 
more than $1,000, or imprisonment for not more 
than four months. The penalty for killing a 
deer illegally is $40. No one may kill more than 
two in a season. Trout may be taken from the 
time the ice leaves until September 15. 

The best bass-fishing in the United States is 
found in Great and Long ponds, near Belgrade 
Mills, five hours from Boston, about half-way 
between Augusta and Farmington. The best 
trout-fishing in the United States is in the 
Rangeley Lakes in southwestern Maine. These 
are reached in about eight hours from Boston, 
via Portland and Rumford Falls, and they afford 
ideal sites for camps. As a proof of the remark- 
able trout caught in these waters I may mention 
the fact that a brook-trout weighing 11 pounds, 
28^ inches long and having a girth of 16%. 
inches was caught in Lake Mooselucmaguntic by 
my uncle, the late Dr. Charles Haddock, of Bev- 
erly, Mass. There is no other place in the 
United States or Canada, so far as I know, 
where square-tailed trout of this size may be 
taken. 

Birds are not common in the Maine woods. 
Evergreen forests do not afford attractive nour- 
ishment for them, but in the southwestern por- 
tion grouse are found. 

When it is considered that almost the entire 
State has become a pleasure park; that during 
the "heated season" nearly every section has its 
quota of visitors from beyond the limits of the 
State; that the woods and lakes, as well as hills 
and shores, are visited by thousands whose tem- 



7 

porary habitations are camps and tents, and whose 
names are not found upon the registers of large 
and fashionable hotels; that the pursuit of game 
and fish by this class of visitors has furnished, 
during the past season, remunerative employment 
to 1,316 registered guides, the enormous extent 
of the summer-tourist business of Maine can be 
understood and appreciated, and justifies the 
claims of well-informed authorities that more 
than 200,000 visitors and $10,000,000 have been 
brought into the State during the past season 
through the attractions of its summer resorts.'''' 

Tlie Islands. — Campobello (latitude 44° 57' 
north), just beyond the border of the United 
States, is a picturesque island in Passamaquoddy 
Bay, 70 miles northeast of Mount Desert, and 
three miles from Eastport. It is a favorite sum- 
mer resort and has a cool and bracing climate. 

Washington County, the easternmost part of 
Maine, abounds in hunting and fishing camps. 
There are hundreds of streams abounding in 
trout and salmon, and deer are frequently seen. 
Always cool in summer, it is a region of intense 
cold during the winter. The air is sharp and in- 
vigorating. The principal camps are at Cherry- 
field, Columbia Falls, Machias, East Machias, 
and Franklin. These camps have a capacity of 
from 10 to 15 guests, and the rates charged are, 
as a rule, one dollar a day. Further information 
as to camps and guides can be obtained from the 
Game Warden of Washington County, or from 
H. F. Dowst, Calais, Maine. 

Mount Desert Island lies close to the north- 
eastern end of the Maine coast. Its coast is 
rocky and indented by numerous bays. The cli- 
mate is invigorating, cool, with abundant rain and 
occasional fog. The air is too chilly and damp 

* Report of the Bureau of Industrial and Labor Statistics for 1897. 
p. 67. 



even in summer for very delicate persons or those 
suffering from pulmonary or catarrhal affections. 
It is suitable in neurasthenia, insomnia, convales- 
ence from chronic illness, and for recuperation 
from general nervous and mental fatigue. Al- 
though Mount Desert is not over i6 miles in 
diameter, it possesses 13 mountains and 13 lakes. 
Green Mountain, the highest summit, has an alti- 
tude of 1,500 feet. The principal harbors are 
Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Har- 
bor and Seal Harbor. These are all popular re- 
sorts for three or four months in the year. Bar 
Harbor attracts most visiters and is the most 
fashionable resort, but the others have superior 
natural advantages and are far less expensive for 
visitors. Bar Harbor his six hotels and a large 
iiumber of cottages. The latter rent for from 
$600 to $5,000 for the season. 

Frenchman's Bay, lying north of Mount Des- 
ert Island, is about eight miles broad, and is an 
occasional anchorage for warships. 

Winter Harbor is reached 7'ia Bar Harbor, and 
has an attractive, well-kept hotel on Grindstone 
Neck, a portion of the mainland. There is a 
superior club-house, and the harbor affords good 
anchorage. 

Castine is a quiet, picturesque summer resort 
at the head of Penobscot Bay. It has a cool, 
stimulating climate and affords excellent oppor- 
tunities for sailing. The accommodations are 
rather primitive, and access is by steamer from 
Portland, Belfast or Bangor. Islesboro is in 
many respects one of the most desirable resorts 
on the coast. The southern end of the island is 
controlled by a company which has built a large 
inn and has secured the support of gentlemen in 
Philadelphia, New York and Boston in erecting 
some of the most beautiful summer residences on 



the coast. Isle au Haut, Camden, Rockland and 
the islands near Bath are also well-known resorts. 

Near Portland there are numerous islands 
which support a large summer population. As a 
rule the accommodations are very moderate and 
unpretentious. Orr's Island and Bailey's Island 
are among the most desirable. 

Old Orchard Beach has lapsed from its former 
prestige and, although largely visited in July and 
August, does not appeal to those who seek quiet, 
and at the same time choice surroundings. 

Kennebunkport is one of the best places on the 
Maine coast for summer residence. It is pre- 
eminently cool, free from fog and full of natural 
attractions. There are nearly lOO cottages and a 
few moderate-sized hotels where visitors may be 
made very comfortable. The average temper- 
ature during July, 1900, was 67.2° F. at 8 A.M.; 
71.7° F. at 2 P.M., and 67.2° F. at 8 P.M.; in 
August, at 5 A.M., 60.2° F. ; 8 A.M., 66° F.; 2 
P.M., 69.5° F. ; 8 P.M., 64.4° F. Situated about 
25 miles south of Portland, it is much more acces- 
sible than the resorts further east, and the water 
is warmer and excellent for sea-bathing. The 
temperature of the water ranges from 57° to 
67° F. during the summer, averaging 62° in 
July, 61° in August and about 60° in September. 

York Harbor is an attractive old town with a 
summer colony of moderate proportions. 

The mineral springs of Maine deserve mention. 
The most famous locality of these is Poland 
Springs. There is probably no mineral water in 
the United States that has a wider sale. It is a 
pure, palatable, diuretic water containing 3.67 
grains of solids per gallon, the principal ingredi- 
ent being silica. The resort is open winter and 
summer and the water is shipped all over the 
United States. 



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